Petra Nemcova, the Czech supermodel who survived the 2004 Asian tsunami, spoke out about her charity the Happy Hearts Fund

Petra Nemcova, the Czech supermodel who survived the 2004 Asian tsunami, spoke out about her charity the Happy Hearts Fund at the Samuelsohn 90th anniversary party Sunday night at Manhattan's trendy Ink48 Hotel. Inspired by seeing the tsunami victims in Thailand, Nemcova started the fund in 2006 to build schools for children who are victims of natural disasters worldwide — with 100% of donations going directly to those in need.

Nemcova, who lost her partner in the tsunami, spoke to Uinterview exclusively in this U Rant, in which she makes her pitch for the Happy Hearts Fund in under the required 59 seconds.

Photo (above): donluca

"The Happy Hearts Fund is a foundation we just started in 2006 after being blessed of surviving the 2004 Asian tsunami," she told Uinterview. "The focus is on rebuilding schools after natural disasters when children are forgotten. When first responders leave often they don’t have safe, disaster-proof schools for up to 10 years which means that often a whole generation is kept without an education, and we don’t want to leave these children forgotten. That’s why Happy Hearts Fund goes and builds safe disaster-proof schools and we provide children hope and opportunities to have a better and brighter future."